Monday, July 22, 2013

Hayley Spoke (poor) Spanish!

Today is an exciting day ya'll! I was forced to speak Spanish in not one but two places because I was alone and had to figure it out, go me. But first I'll explain what I was doing being by myself, Mom don't freak out I was fine.

It is even colder today than yesterday 0 degrees Celsius! Which to all of you Americano's means it was 32 degrees outside this morning. I had to be at the school for a meeting at the crack of dawn, 10:30AM. Believe me, in Argentina 10:30 is muy early. Luckily when I tried to leave the house in my flimsy pleather jacket from target my Madre stopped me and was like no no no!! Muy frio!! And then she lent me one of her coats to wear to school, she's clearly amazing. They say that in two weeks we'll be over the cold and it will only get warmer. Spring doesn't start till September, but August won't be as bad as now. I cannot wait. 

For our meeting we did a little tour around the area by car, thank God, and ate at a restaurant in San Telmo. I had empanadas because they remind me of crab ragoons only with beef inside and also I couldn't really read anything else on the menu. After that, we walked around the craft market going on in the street. It had lots of cool, super cute stuff to buy, but it was freezing and possibly going to nieve (snow) so we sort of hurried back to the car. 

The program director that we were with dropped us off at a Subte (subway) station and told us where we should get off. Well, she told us to get off at Oscello which is the stop for Belgrano and I live in Palermo. When I got off the subway I wasn't really sure how to get back to my house and I knew that regardless it was quite the walk from Oscello. 

I think flagged down a radio taxi, I'm getting better at that. When I told the driver my address I completely botched it. I said seis, dos, cero and pronounced the street name the English rather than Spanish way. I quickly realized he was confused and showed him my address that I had written down. Then he realized where I meant and ask if I was Americano. I love the way they assume that a foreigner is always American. 

On the way to my house, he was trying to talk to me and I was actually able to respond in Spanish. I told him what I was doing here and where I was from and what career I ultimately wanted to do. It was pretty cool considering none of this happened in English. 

After he dropped me off I walked to a nearby drug store to buy shampoo and razors because I didn't think to pack any. Luckily, it's been cold so I haven't really been tempted to wear shorts. The shampoo and conditioner I found just fine (they sold Pantene and Dove, weird), but the razors were nowhere to be found. When I got to the counter I realized you had to ask for them, joy! 

I'm wasn't sure what the word for razor was in Spanish so I just said razoras por favor? So American of me I know. Ends up that's NOT the word for razor. It's maquinilla de afeitar. So I just made a total ass of myself but regardless the clerk knew what I meant. 

After that I made it back home. But now it seems that I need to go find the Subte (subway) again because we're going to watch the Lone Ranger. I've actually been added to the AIFS, which is a different study abroad program here in Argentina's group, which is super funny. I'm sure attempting to find them is going to be another whole entire adventure in itself!

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